We understand that it is difficult to focus on estate planning; it sounds about as fun as having surgery. However, we also understand that we all want to make sure that our loved ones are protected and receive our hard-earned assets – regardless of whether we have $10 million or $10,000 and that those assets are used for our care during our lifetimes. We often spend our entire lives looking out for the best interests of children and family but when it comes to estate planning, too often we ignore the hard truth until it is too late – thereby unintentionally creating a very difficult situation for those same children and family members.
Don’t let these common roadblocks stop you from protecting yourself and your family:
- I don’t want to talk about death. Discussions of death, dying, and illness – money and family – will and trusts – make many people uncomfortable. Of course, that’s normal. But, don’t let a few minutes of feeling uncomfortable stop you from taking care of yourself and your loved ones.
- This Isn’t a Good Time. Everyone is busy. We understand that, but there’s never going to be a better time. Everyone works better with a deadline so call our office, get on the calendar, and get it done.
- I Don’t Understand. Estate planning is documented in legal papers; finances are discussed; the law is analyzed. It’s common to feel uncomfortable if those are things you don’t deal with regularly. If that’s what keeping you from getting your affairs in order, you are not alone. One of our most important roles is to translate complex legal concepts into everyday language and answer any questions you may have. This is not a process that you undertake by yourself.
- I’ll just go online and create my own estate plan.Unfortunately, people sometimes decide they don’t want to discuss issues, are too busy, do not understand the process and therefore opt for what they believe to be the easy way to do it – a fill in the blank “form” obtained online. Yes, we include this as “running the other way.”Preparing an estate plan is not a do-it-yourself activity. The complexities are enormous and the danger of preparing legal documents incorrectly is very real. Don’t risk your family’s future on poorly designed, one-size-fits-all legal documents created in another state that may not even be what you need in the first place!
The truth is that estate planning isn’t that bad. Yes, it forces us to acknowledge our mortality and the difficulties that can occur with a long-term illness or untimely death, but your loved ones will benefit immensely from the process. In fact, with our help, estate planning is easy. You’ll complete some paperwork and we’ll chat with you confidentially about your goals and concerns, analyze your family and financial situation, and work with you to come up with a solid plan that best fits your situation. We take care of everything else.